MoH issues draft plan on immigration procedures amid COVID-19

The latest policy will see those arriving in the country pay for testing, transportation, and quarantine expenses.

Inpiduals who enter the nation for diplomatic or official purposes and plan to stay for over 14 days will receive free testing. Those who choose to undergo quarantine at a hotel or resort will therefore pay the fees charged by those facilities.

These regulations will apply to those travelling on international commercial flights and entering the country from places that have brought the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic under control. This includes Thailand, Tokyo in Japan, Seoul in the Republic of Korea, Taiwan (China), Guangzhou in China, Vientiane in Laos, and Phnom Penh in Cambodia.

The three groups include:

Group one: Vietnamese citizens and foreigners who are parents, spouses, or children of Vietnamese citizens.

Group two: Foreigners who are experts, investors, business managers, high-tech employees, experts, and their parents, spouses, or children, in addition to international students, all of whom will stay for more than 14 days.

Group three: Foreigners who enter the country for diplomatic or official purposes, or foreign experts working in the nation for less than 14 days.

Before entering the country, passengers in Group one will be required to present their passport and entry visa to officials, along with a certificate confirming they have tested negative for COVID-19 through the RT-PCR method within the past three to five days.

They must also show the address and phone number of their quarantine facility, as well as the phone number of the person or organisation picking them up at the airport. In addition, they will also have to show their online health declarations and install the Vietnamese COVID-19 contact-tracing app.

Subjects in Group two, in addition to the regulation on going to a concentrated quarantine and providing negative COVID-19 test results, must have health insurance or commit to paying for treatment costs in case they are infected with COVID-19.

Subjects in Group three who enter the country for diplomatic and official purposes and stay more than for 14 days will also have to fully comply with immigration and quarantine regulations.